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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. dip — to sink
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fall — the season
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — the amount
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. content — happy
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — a break
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com